FARMINGTON – Shiprock, the 1,500-foot formation that towers almost 30 miles west of Farmington, is a bellwether of progress for clean air advocates in the Four Corners.
“We never had the vantage points like this and the clarity when the coal plants were in operation,” said Mike Eisenfeld, energy and climate program manager at San Juan Citizens Alliance, over the crackling headset inside one of EcoFlight’s six-seat planes.
To the north, the Weminuche Wilderness and the La Plata Mountains peaked with whitecaps on the horizon. Shiprock, clearly visible miles away, marked the cardinal direction to the west.
It was a flight like this nearly 20 years ago that catalyzed Eisenfeld and EcoFlight’s work in the region. EcoFlight has long used aerial perspectives to educate people about environmental issues. Shiprock was barely visible then through the haze of smog from the two coal power plants, each with its own mine.
